Tim Kenworthy is 19 years old and he is already the founder of an organisation. Youth Tree, a creative collaboration designed to get young people excited about volunteering for the community. It is a concept derived and brought to life by Tim and his dedication to helping the community.

When Tim was 18, he went to Guatemala with Youth Challenge Australia to aid community development. He describes it as an invaluable experience that put life into perspective, “I got the chance to renovate a house into an eco-hotel and teach English. I also designed a bathroom and helped build it,” he said.

This trip inspired him to create Youth Tree. It is an art project people can contribute to which will instigate commentary on world issues and encourage volunteering. The non for profit, independent organisation has built a ‘tree’ from recycled waste such as receipts and scrap metal. The leaves are the product of a workshop, where participants were asked questions about prominent world issues and their responses are drawn or painted on leaves. The ‘tree’ itself is symbolic of artistic flair and the growth of ideas and expressions that make a difference within our community.

Through informal communication and a one-on-one connection, Tim tries to point participants in the right direction and recommends organisations they could volunteer at. “I’m trying to crack the code in a fun and artistic way. I want to instigate genuine conversation and get people excited about volunteering,” Tim said.

Tim, a Curtin University Engineering student took a year off to establish Youth Tree. He has recently applied at Curtin University to get a permanent workshop space for volunteers and organisations to come together. The plan is to create “a space with a social focus” that is visible on campus and encourages people to join and continue to make positive changes. The area will be shared with Bicycle Recycle, which fixes old bicycles and gives them to refugees. Bicycle Recycle will represent the practical side of the social focus, complementing Youth Tree’s artistic, innovative characteristics.

Youth Tree organises many free networking events that allows volunteers to get to know leaders and figureheads of prominent organisations. Youth Tree is a remarkable organisation that is focused on helping people help the community. Tim Kenworthy and his ideals are a fresh revelation making his passion felt throughout the local community.

There are currently 250 people on their mailing list and countless organisations they are affiliated with. If you would like to be part of Youth Tree please sign up at: youthtreeproject@gmail.com.